The Gods are smiling!

Greetings from New England! I think I have these trips down now. While I love staying right in downtown Boston, I find that the affordable hotel rooms are just too small and I don't like having to depend on restaurants for meals. I am staying in the Extended Stay Deluxe Suites in Woburn which is about 13 miles north of Boston. I stayed here last year for about half the price of a really basic room in the city. I have a full kitchen and a sitting area. I tend to eat small meals frequently so I bring some fresh produce, good coffee and make a stop at the local Whole Foods and I'm pretty much good for the week. I brought an insulated lunch box so that I can pack a lunch to take with me whereever I'm going for the day. Here is my little "home away from home:"



Notice the knitting bag on the couch! I've done absolutely no knitting! I spent yesterday at the NEHGS library then walked around a little (pictures in a later post). My research spawned more research so I spent the evening online.

I got here a little before midnight Monday night as I didn't leave home until 4:00 p.m. Friends think I'm nuts to leave so late, but I rather like it. First of all, I'm well rested and I get all the loose ends taken care of at home without rushing. Secondly, there is absolutely no traffic! None! Those of us from the DC/Baltimore area appreciate that more than you can possibly know! it was just a relaxing uneventful drive with a couple of potty stops on the Jersey turnpike and a gas stop on the Mass Pike. One long playlist on the old ipod kept me happy the whole way! It was chilly and rainy and I feared that the week would be that way as well.

The Gods were smiling! Tuesday I slept in a little since I ended up not going to bed until almost 2 a.m. and when I got up it was sunny. Secondly, it was a good hair day! Since I was going to the Back Bay, I decided that I shouldn't be a total slob so I put on one of my favorite little Nanette Lepore tops:

If you've never been to the Back Bay area in Boston, you need to understand slobbery is just not appropriate as Newbury Street is the place for would be fashionistas! Here's a small sampling of what you will find within a few blocks: Chanel, Georgio Armani, Valentino, Ralph Lauren, DKNY, Max Azria, Betsey Johnson, Marc Jacobs, Nanette Lepore, Cartier, Kate Spade, Cole Haan, and the list goes on! Then there are the cosmetic places like Mac, Bliss, Kiehl's etc. along with the sidewalk cafes. All of these shops are in elegant brownstones. It is a shopper's dream--assuming, of course, that the shopper is loaded!
I love to look and would bring a sketch book if it wasn't in such poor taste to do so! Some things are just committed to my memory and sketched later -- like the stunning little jacket in the window of Valentino that I saw last year!

Typically I have to park under the Commons and walk a few blocks, but once again the Gods were smiling as I found a spot on Newbury Street 3 doors down from the library right in front of:

If you can't see it--the pink awning says "Nanette Lepore." Those who know me, know that I simply love her clothes and I have a bit of a collection thanks to Ebay. All the shops are having their summer sales this time of year and last year I did some major damage in Nanette Lepore where I got 2 skirts, a jacket and a top. I decided I would go in. I had fun looking and resisted the urge to buy. I did find out that they are opening a shop in MD! Currently there are only 5 Nanette Lepore boutiques worldwide!

Here's a little glimpse of Newbury Street:


The Gods continued to smile! Check out the sky!

That photo is not enhanced! The sky was really that blue! I've never seen a sky that blue in the middle of a big city! The temperature was pleasant and there was a breeze!

Research was fairly productive but the library closed at 5 yesterday so I walked throught the park , the Commons and the Esplanade. I will post a little photo tour this evening.

Bushism of the Day:
"I'm not really the type to wander off and sit down and go through deep wrestling with my soul." --George W. Bush, as quoted in Vanity Fair, October 2000

WoW! Maybe that's part of the problem!

Kitty cam:
This is how Greg is spending HIS summer vacation: