City Musing: Ice Cold Cambridge

Is Anyone Else Cold?
It's bitter. Face-stinging, eye-watering, finger-snapping cold. It's the kind of cold that you swallow through your neck and immediately freezes your appendages. Suddenly fingers and toes no longer work. Oh, Cambridge. These are the kind of winters that make you infamous.

In an effort to get warm, I am continuously cranking up the heat and brewing coffee around the clock. I am layering my clothes and wishing that stores offered lifestyle handwarmers. You know, to keep inside the pockets of the sweatshirt that's under the second bathrobe. Ooh, and electric socks. When is someone going to engineer those? I'll buy stock.

So it snowed all day yesterday. It just snowed and snowed and snowed. And yet strangely, when I took my camera outside today to capture the snowy remnants left by the night's frost, there wasn't much to be captured. But there was still enough cold in the air to temporarily freeze my fingers so I could no longer click the button on my camera. Awesome. However, I wanted to capture my town while it's cold because, obviously, this is a big part of Boston's identity: COLD WEATHER. Call me sentimental, but I even want to remember this ridiculous weather. When I'm not here anymore. So snuggle up and enjoy. Your heater.

So in an effort to stay warm this evening, I will be snuggling up with my honey and watching last night's episode of Downton Abbey. Obviously, the Superbowl took priority last night (and Beyonce and Alicia Keys' performances totally made it worth it to me). My favorite new addition to a traditional Downton evening? Home-cooked kettle corn and La Croix. Yes oh yes. It's a good night to stay in.

Favorites: Pretty and Bitter + Handful of Goodies

Monday Mashup.
Happy Monday! I am happy to be back in my cozy apartment in Cambridge. Stevie and I went for a run last night, and I just have to say... wow. It was painful for the entire 2 miles. And not just because I was running, ha. I know that 25 degrees isn't that cold, but it was windy along the Charles River and my body just hurt the entire time. Since I practically got frost bite while taking the above photos, I just had to share them. Pretty and bitter all at once.

Favorite Things.
I have a few inspiring links to share. Hopefully these little goodies will help you power through the week Everyone likes free music, hot recipes and gorgeous art work, right? Enjoy!

...Warm Me Up: Winter Kale and 2-Bean Soup
My dear friend Natalie whipped up this recipe. I made it last night after the God-awful run, and it really lifted my spirits. It's super healthy and packed with protein. I love having a friend who creates delicious, fit-fueling recipes!

...Pantone Color of the Year: Emerald
I missed the big unveiling of this year's color, but I read about it on Closet Memoirs' blog. I'm just feeling inspired by all these emerald items. Great gift ideas, right? Valentines Day is on the horizon...

...Desktop Decor: Rebekka Seale Artwork
I am obsessed with Rebekka's blog. She is an artist that gives away free desktop calendar art each month. Her style is happy and warm. Get January's calendar here.

...Easy Listening: Crate & Barrel Playlist
After being gone for a month, I had a lot of mail to catch up on. Is it just me, or are Crate and Barrel's catalogs extremely cool these days? There was a link in the back of the mag for a free easy-listening playlist. It's been on repeat in our household. Get yours here.

...My Famous Kin: Tiffany & Co.
I just had to share this little bit. My sister is so pretty it's silly and her husband isn't too shabby, either. (You should see their baby. Its ridiculous.) They are featured on the Tiffany & Co. site in the "What Makes True Love True" photo gallery. How famous are they? Their wedding photo was chosen as part of this Valentine promotion. Bonus: You can send a free, personalized post card to someone you love. Get yours here!

Happy, happy Monday.

Cambridge. My Everest.

Well people. We went to Boston. Orientation happened. We are officially moving. (No turning back. We turned in a deposit.) The weekend was legit. We mixed. Mingled. We smiled, shook strangers' hands. We were walking resumes.

But.

We actually met cool people. And the school wasn't pretentious. Not like I imagined. People were REAL. Impressive, yes. Accomplished, sure. Pure-bred academics. But they were actually cool, normal, FUN people. Got me more excited about moving to New England.

Not gonna lie. The gorgeous blossoming trees helped make the whole Boston/Cambridge experience slightly more magical. We basked in this glory. I also took a nap on a heavenly bench during our lunch break. Meeting that many people can really wear a girl out.

We walked Cambridge for an entire day straight, exploring the neighborhoods and trying to narrow down where we wanted to live. We looked at some awesome apartments and houses, and although we didn't sign a lease on anything yet, we definitely got a feel. We vibed the neighborhoods.

This is one of the apartments we took at peek at. But it was on the 3rd floor of someone's house, and the altitude made Stevie a little woozy.

So one morning we woke up and took a jog on the Charles River. We stopped on the HBS campus and, what else, threw a frisbee. That day we proceeded to walk EIGHT MILES throughout Cambridge. It was my Everest. My feet needed rehab when we got home.

The nighttime came quickly with all that walking. We made some friends and hung out in the downtown Cambridge area, known as Harvard Square. Harvard Square, right next to Harvard University, is about a mile from the HBS campus, and this is the home of the local watering holes. Bars, restaurants, shopping, and the occasional drunken Red Sox fan can be found here. In excess. Along with about a zillion historic buildings that dozens of our founding fathers frequented, lived in, or sneezed on. This city makes me want to pull out all my old childhood history books.

All in all, the orientation weekend gave us a really good picture of the lifestyle led by these MBA students. We found out about financial aid (jaw drop), and housing ("HOW much is rent in this area??"), the social life, and the academic load. We definitely saw the ups and the downs (hello, 6 months of winter.) However, we are more excited now than we ever have been. I feel confident that Stevie is going to come out of this school even more amazing that he already is, and I am thrilled for him. And for me, because I get to use the fancy on-campus gym. I'll tell you later about all the perks I get to indulge in... It's mega.

Oh, and apparently Stevie will be in class with Tyra Banks this year. Google it and let me know your thoughts. I'm just cracking up at the thought of him discussing fashion with her in class. Maybe she'll throw me some free swim suits. I'm gonna have a talk with her about the wonders of pasta and see how she reacts.

In the next week or so, I will start posting my virtual garage sale. Clothes, furniture, and random odds and ends that we have to get rid of in order to move. Read: EVERYTHING MUST GO. We are keeping our bed and dishes, and that's about it. So if you're in the business of furnishing something, be it a living room, closet, or storage shed, we might be the people you are interested in. No, actually we are the people you are interested in.

We are applying for Harvard-affiliated housing this week. It's basically the same process you use to register for college classes, but we are registering for some of their off-campus apartments. They are close to the school and pretty sweet. Pray that we get an amazing pick!

And last, but certainly not least - Lena Hunt, congrats on graduating with two graduate degrees. You make us (and Georgia State) so freaking proud to know you.

More details to come!