Winter Blues.

After being away for a week, I treated myself to a manicure.  I love dark polish on short nails but tire of the same old deep reds.  For a change, I opted for OPI's Sapphire in the Snow...

Purple in the sunlight, navy blue in other light, and sometimes almost black.  It really depends where you are.  It's versatile while different enough to be funky...



Thinking Cup.

After a matinee showing of Black Swan, the only thing my girlfriend and I were in the mood for was something sweet. We found ourselves just a couple doors down from the theater at Thinking Cup.  It was just what we needed...

We discovered a hidden gem.  Two small French Hot Chocolates, a piece of pumpkin spice cake and two mini cupcakes {red velvet & chocolate with peanut butter frosting} made us forget all about the images ingrained in our minds from the psychological horror.  Perfect for a Saturday afternoon indulgence...



Workin' Gal.

I will be in my beloved Rhode Island all week for our sales kickoff meeting, in downtown Providence.  I have a lovely room with a beautiful view of the capital building {above}. I'll be back in Beantown next weekend, have a great week!

Coffee Cake.

One of my favorite family traditions is having my great grandmother's sour cream coffee cake on Christmas morning.  For the past decade or so I have had the honor of making it on Christmas Eve.  The hundred year old recipe makes a dense yet moist coffee cake.  The hardest part is waiting the hour for it to come out of the oven...

And the unanimous best part is the cinnamon walnut filling and topping.  So much so that every year my little sister asks me to make a double layer of it but the dough is just too thick to accommodate her request.  Yet we still manage to devour every last crumb year after year...



Mini Break.

There is nothing more rejuvenating than a three day weekend.  Mine has been filled with good food, football, matinees and lots of hanging out.  Happy Martin Luther King Day...

Trail Blazer.

Yesterday I went snowshoeing for the first time.  A perfect winter activity for me as there is no skill required, you simply walk over the snow and enjoy the Great Outdoors.  It was love at first step...

Pops Restaurant.

I am a huge fan of the group coupon companies that have sprouted up all over the interweb.  For me, it's a great way to try the hundred or so restaurants I want to here in Beantown.  My most recent super deal was at Pops Restaurant in the South End...

Cardiac arrest in a cast iron skillet.

If you happen to go, get the Cantina Fries.  It is french fries topped with cheddar cheese, confit duck, chicharonnes, mole sauce, sour cream and jalapenos.  We had to try them based on the description alone.  They are so bad for you, they're good...

Two key ingredients:

butternut squash + goat cheese.

 The biggest draw to Pops is that the chef buys primarily from local farmers markets.  It is reflelcted in the prices.  No entree over $18.00!  The theme of the menu is comfort and our entrees hit the spot.  Perfect on a cold winter night...

Now that is what I call a burger.

Snow Day.

Completely snowed in and no where to go, it's a perfect time to catch up on my {somewhat} neglected blog.  In addition, I plan on lounging in sweats all day, enjoying Sex and the City episodes, sipping my favorite warm drinks and watching the snowy world outside.  I feel like a kid again...

Leftover pizza for lunch.

Vanilla steamer with cinnamon:

simple and comforting.