Acton, MA

Adventures in Acton

Some of my favorite weekends involve escaping the concrete and chaos of Boston for a day and heading out to Mike's hometown of Acton, Massachusetts. For a native city mouse like myself, this little corner of Mass is a wooded paradise that inspires coziness and boasts New England charm.  

The Head of the Charles Regatta

This past gorgeous weekend, Cambridge, MA played host to one of New England's most beloved events: 

 The Head of the Charles Regatta

My friends and I spent our Sunday sipping coffee in Harvard Square, indulging in autumn's most adored comfort foods, admiring attendees' classic New England style, and, of course, watching the finalists compete for Regatta glory from right beside the Elliot Bridge. 

As this is by far one of my most favorite weekends in Boston, I have constructed an extraordinarily lengthy post on all things HOCR. 

The Head of the Charles Regatta is hosted along a significant portion of the Charles River, although viewers exist in the highest concentration between Harvard Square and just beyond the Elliot Bridge. That said, it only makes sense to start the day by exploring Harvard Square's charming shops and picking up a snack or two. Genevieve and Stephanie particularly enjoyed these subs from Al's, which is notorious for their massive sandwiches. 

If you're looking for something a little sweeter, Kristin would definitely recommend you stop by The Garage's Ben and Jerry's. After all, having grown up in Vermont and worked at the Ben & Jerry's factory herself, she's an expert when it comes to New England's favorite ice cream. 

Speaking of born-and-raised New Englanders, meet Brianna. A lover of monograms, Lilly Pulitzer, and all things pink, this Cape Cod native embraces the New England prep style with open, KJP-decorated arms. And rocks it. 

Another Massachusetts native, my Ann-Taylor-obsessed best friend and former roommate Genevieve has a sophisticated simplicity to her style that I envy. She has an undying ability to look classy while simultaneously looking like she is not trying very hard at all. She also has a talent for making extremely animated facial expressions. (see below)

Up next, of course, is our adopted New Englander: the bubbly, bold-spirited Californian that we half-forced into a pinstripe oxford and sweater pullover. Steph's modern edginess frequently scores her the label of "trendy," but I think it is her ability to assemble a diverse array of styles with a primarily neutral palette that makes her so deserving of the title. Don't let those bright bohemian hues up top fool you.

After some time in the square, we made our way to the riverside, which was lined with tents upon tents of HOCR merch and all of the comfort food your heart could ever desire. We're talking lobster rolls, apple cider donuts, and pumpkin coffee galore. Oh, and let's not forget the chowdah.

One of my personal favorite treats of the day was this apple-cinnamon-white-chocolate-chip muffin.

 I am determined to master the art of baking these little confections of perfection. I plan to start with this recipe that I found on The Little Red Tart. Pair one of these guys with a steaming mug of chai tea, and you have a breakfast that tastes like October. 

After we journeyed over the Elliot Bridge and made our way to the finish line, Brianna and I beelined it for the food tents for a much-needed meal. But, alas, the smell of hot apple crisp caught us off guard, and we instantaneously decided to eat dessert first. 

 We regret nothing.

After stuffing our faces of apple pie in front of dozens of wildly attractive rowers, we decided to bring our classy selves on over to the Brooks Brothers tent. Brooks Brothers, a leading sponsor of the HOCR, also hosted a miniature Kiel James Patrick factory, where some of the beautiful minds behind KJP were making and selling personalized bracelets. We even had the pleasure of meeting the lovely Sarah Vickers, KJP girlfriend, blogging idol and New England belle. She's essentially the Kate Middleton of the East Coast.

Sarah covers her and the rest of the KJP gang's experience at the HOCR on her blog, Classy Girls Wear Pearls. I encourage everyone to go fall in love with her classic style and read on about the Regatta over there. And while you're at it, go pick up a bracelet at Kiel James Patrick. Here are a few of my favorites:

Top: Bonaventure Hull bracelet, $58.
Middle: Royal's Golden Fleet wrap bracelet, $75.
Bottom: Dapper Huey bow bracelet, $40.  

KJP had an extremely successful weekend of sales at the Regatta, but unfortunately sold out of the bracelets I was looking for. Instead, I ended up buying a Brooks Brothers HOCR fleece at the tent, as I was fairly frigid by the end of the afternoon. We snapped a few final pictures by the finish line before I caved and bundled myself up and ran for warmth. 

Next year, I am making sure to clear my entire weekend for the festivities. One day simply isn't enough. 

I am not the only one who is sad the HOCR has come to a close, though. They already have a countdown until next year up on the official website!

See you next year, Elliot. 

little things #4: casual Fridays

We have reached that fantastic time of year where every building with central air continues to blast AC despite ever-declining temperatures. Doomed to the business casual staples of dress pants, khakis, blouses, and button-downs, I often find myself depending on my lab coat for warmth. But not on Fridays. 

The warmth of jeans and cords, riding boots, and cable-knit sweaters are all welcomed on the beloved Casual Friday. As if Fridays weren't great enough already. 

You said it, Archer. 

Outfit of the Day 10.10

Black riding boots - Me Too (exact brand, similar)

Skinny pants - H&M (exact, color discontinued)

Down puffer vest - Land's End (exact)

Cable-knit sweater - J. Crew (exact brand, similar) (exact brand, similar)

Outfit of the Day 06.07

Tote-ally Versatile

If you don't already have a versatile weekender, consider getting a tote bag that could store everything for your summertime escapades instead! Already have a beach tote? Try a bag that can easily transition from summer to fall with these totes and their woodsy neutrals and bold, nautical blues. Did I mention that they're all under $100?

1. london fog satchel, Macy's, $45 on sale.

2. element stockholm tote, Element, $40.

3. traveling translator tote, ModCloth, $no longer avail.

4. nixon paddock tote, Nixon, $70.

5. striped blue tote in blue, Target, $35 on sale.

6. michael cors kempton small tote, MICHAEL Michael Kors, $98 free shipping.

7. cassidy medium weekender, Sole Society, $70.

8. kelly & katie hollis shopper tote, DSW, $25.

9. crocodile tote handbag w/ media tablet case, Target, $35.

10. kelly & katie mixed meader tote, DSW, $40.

11. london fog tote, Macy's, $50 on sale.

12. BCBGeneration isla tote, DSW, $40.

1. green banana leaf maxi dress, Topshop, $64.

2. anora dancing leaves printed shorts, Ted Baker, £89.

3. tropical push-up bikini, Kohl's, $18.

4. embroidered crepe and chiffon dress, Vineet Bahl, $315.

5. palm leaf neoprene iPad case, Juicy Couture, $25 on sale.

6. palm leaf iPhone 5 case, Juice Couture, $20 on sale.

7. candy floral shorts, Alice + Olivia, $165.

8. green leaf longline bikini, Topshop, $68.

9. banana leaf print cosmetic case, Milly, $65.

10. gaelle top in pale aqua, Joie, $148.

11. petite banana scoop back dress, Topshop, $58.

12. banana leaf print tee & scallop hem shorts, Topshop, $64 for outfit.

13. "can't stop shopper" tote, Nine West, $50.

What's new on Newbury?

Last week, I spent the day roaming Newbury Street with my old roommate and dear friend Genevieve. Braving the Beantown tourists and sudden heat wave (90 degrees!), we embarked on a quest to check out what Boston's finest retailers had in store for Summer 2013. 

Above: A snapshot of LouLou's extensive scarf collection, photo from LouLou's website.

Our first stop of the day was LouLou Boutique, a fabulous accessories shop located at 222a Newbury Street. Never having noticed the shop previously, both Gen and I were overwhelmed with their vast, vibrant collection of bags, jewelry, and more. The displays are all artfully arranged by color and style, and feature various vintage trinkets that add an Anthropologie-esque feel to the store's interior. In addition to more handbags, wallets, bracelets, and necklaces than one could ever dream of, LouLou also offers an extensive variety of scarves, watches, rings, and soaps.

While their rainbow of scarves is pretty impressive, we fell in love with their arm candy. 

Check out some of our favorites down below!

This emerald striped enamel bangle, with its darker hue but brighter gold detailing, is a perfect transition piece for Spring-to-Summer. The  sunset date bracelet would definitely help me with my summer goal of wearing more orange! Gen couldn't keep away from any of the lavender-accented jewelry, like this bling squared stretchy bracelet.

Not far from LouLou Boutique is a new shop called No Rest For Bridget.  An absolute gem, No Rest For Bridget offers a quality of clothing somewhere around that of 344 or Anthropologie. In fact, the store sells many books and fragrances also available at Anthro, and it even sells one of Anthro's favorite brand of candles: Voluspa  try Goji Tarocco Orange. 

Speaking of orange, this shirt caught my eye immediately after I entered No Rest For Bridget. Its cool fabric, intriguing patterns, and unique collar work together to make it the greatest summer top ever. Plus, it's orange. Which I'm trying to make my thing. So, yeah. 

Above: A colorful jewelry display at LouLou Boutique.

Both No Rest For Bridget and LouLou Boutique can be found on the infamous Newbury Street in Boston (220 and 222a, respectively).

LouLou Boutique has multiple other locations (especially in the DC area) which can be found on their website.

No Rest For Bridget features multiple other locations throughout California--in fact, the new store in Boston, which just opened in March, is their first on the east coast! If you're visiting Boston this summer and you like what you see, be sure to stop by! But be warned--according to the staff, the store gets new shipments in every day. Their biggest shipments of products come in on Fridays, so visit during the weekend for the best variety!

Do you plan on visiting Newbury Street this summer?