Fourth of July Weekend

Every Fourth of July, my family and I usually do the beach-and-BBQ routine at home, but this year, I spent the holiday in Manchester and Boston with Stephen and his mother, Gail. It was a welcome reprieve--the last break I had allowed myself was Boston Calling during Memorial Day weekend.

On the Fourth, we spent most of the day at the beach, then went to a party hosted by Stephen and Gail's family friends. When we returned to Boston, we even caught the fireworks from the Esplanade.

It's a rare occasion that I dress very preppy. I would have kept wearing the shirt all day if it wasn't for the fact it was sweltering outside...

Nothing says summer like seafood...

Or a warm ocean breeze...

The following day, Stephen and I walked along Newbury Street and ate lunch at La Voile. We stayed cool window-shopping in well air-conditioned stores (Ralph Lauren had the best AC by far) and drinking plenty of Starbucks. We also watched a documentary of Madonna's Blonde Ambition tour before I had to catch my train back to Rhode Island...It was intriguing, to say the least. 

Les crevettes et les choux at La Voile

I worked the rest of the weekend at Laura Jean Denim Shop and managed social media content for some clients, but it was fine--the trip to Manchester and Boston made the Fourth of July weekend worthwhile. 

New arrivals at KC Shoes at the Pier

Vegan Leather Dress by Sanctuary, available at  Laura Jean Denim Shop

Accessories by Frye, available at Laura Jean Denim Shop

Dress, necklace, and sandals from Crosswynds Traders

Hall of Fame Tennis Championships start tomorrow--it's going to be crazy busy in Newport...

Newport/Boston: Fashion Photography and French Food

I left for Boston Friday afternoon and came back today, Sunday afternoon. My boyfriend Ryan and I had a great visit going to the MFA and La Voile on Newbury Street, and I was also able to see my friend Stephen off before he jet-setted to Rome for the semester.

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I stopped by Beacon Hill Chocolates on my way to Stephen's and picked up macarons, perfect for a farewell cup of tea. Ciao, Stephen!

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Since Ryan and I stayed in Friday night, we watched one of the DVDs I checked out from the library last week, Vicky Cristina Barcelona.

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Friday's Outfit: Dress, Jack Wills; Sweater, Simply Vera by Vera Wang; Boots, Forever 21

We woke up freakishly early Saturday morning (8:00 am?!) and took advantage. We went to the MFA to see fashion and lifestyle photographer Mario Testino's exhibits In Your Face and British Royal Portraits. After seeing the exhibits, I never realized the vast presence of  Testino's work--so many of those photographs I had seen before, whether it be a Gucci ad or the portrait of the late Princess Diana.  Since the exhibit is only up for less than two more weeks, I am happy we were able to catch it. 

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Saturday's Outfit: Sweater Jacket, H&M; Tank Top, Greylin; Jeans, Express; Boots, Forever 21

After the MFA, we made our way to La Voile on Newbury Street. We had tried going there New Year's Day, but they opened at a later time in the afternoon that was too close to my train back home. It was well worth the wait for the french bread alone. Since my dreams of Paris have occupied by mind for months, La Voile is the perfect place to indulge my francophile fantasies in the States. I ordered a tomato mozzarella panini with salad and Ryan ordered snapper, one of the specials of the day. We split the cream puffs and a cappucino for dessert.

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The rest of the afternoon was spent walking along Newbury and hanging out back at the apartment before heading off to the Northeastern hockey game against Boston College. Unfortunately, Northeastern lost, but we still had a good time--we picked up chocolate chip cookie dough to bake and made hot chocolates afterwards.

For the last few hours of my visit, we enjoyed croissants with Nutella for breakfast. Ryan dropped me off at Back Bay and back to Rhode Island...

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Usually I don't enjoy coming home after the close of a weekend in Boston, but I had something special to look forward to: Isabella is home! 

My family decided to get a Yorkshire Terrier teacup puppy. Isabella is certainly no replacement for our beloved Theodora, but we are happy to welcome a new addition to our family. Bella is adjusting really well since coming in from Florida last night, a very good sign. 

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From top left: Spike, Pru, Bella, and T