I never finished my Boston recap… things are hectic and it slipped thru the cracks… so here it is (an abridged version anyway):

We headed out on Labor Day (just me, Annmarie, & Nora Jane (the youngest))… it was a beautiful day.  We parked in Beacon Hill, where every tiny detail is so well appointed my eyeballs could hardly stand it…

Over all the drains… this darling sign:

Maybe this detail seems weird to you, but these curved grates (are they window well covers?) were beautiful to me, maybe it was the repetition and the brick work?

Appropriately named: good.

We stopped for lunch at Figs… (delicious)

And then continued on (mostly window shopping and stalking)…

I have this "thing" for retail design… I obsess over displays, product design, merchandising, etc. Kiehls is a long-standing favorite… and since I feared I'd probably get thrown out for taking photos inside… I sneakily took one from outside. 

Fresh. I love it. Same story as Kiehl's — love the design.  I went inside and couldn't resist a few purchases.  I didn't buy anything (aside from my Brimfield finds) during my trip… except these 4 goodies from Fresh:

This is coming from a girl who who rarely wears make-up.  My usual is L'Oreal (I can't lie, I think it's great make-up).  I have never had my make-up done… no, not even in high school at the Clinique counter at the mall.  But I went into Fresh and the nicest girl in the world gave me some testers and their spiel… I was sold.  Also, they were started in Boston, which made me happy as I was thoroughly enjoying my time in that great city.  So, what I bought: I've been looking for a light (tinted) moisturizer that does not have SPF (I wear SPF, don't freak out, but for everyday (where I'm usually inside) it's too greasy and makes my skin tingle) so HIGH NOON was the ticket, then this Here Comes the Sun bronzer trio is perfection, Hesperides(Grapefruit, my favorite scent) Eau De Parfum, and a little lip gloss Sugar.

So after a little retail therapy we continued on our journey… of window shopping:

I think Waterworks might be the mustard seed that started my plumbing fixture obsession… when I was an intern in New York I remember many a quick jaunts over to Waterworks… the feeling I got every single time I went in was this: I wish everyone would leave me alone in this showroom, and then magically black-out shades would cover the windows so I could draw myself a warm bubble bath and relax… then I would wrap up in these luxurious bath robes and dream about the day that I could actually afford to have even a tooth brush holder from this place. 

Okay, back to reality! 

That was day one in Boston (proper)… I needed a little more, so a couple days later I took the train in with Daddy Barry (Annmarie's husband).  I love trains.  I love public transportation.  I guess because I don't have it here (maybe it's a grass-is-always-greener-deal).  So, upon arrival in South Station Barry & I parted ways.  I hopped on the subway to find an old friend and to explore a little more.  I recently reconnected with this long-lost friend from middle school on none-other-than-FACEBOOK… and she lives in Boston.  And she loves dogs.  And she loves Photography.  And she loves architecture and farms and old houses.  And she has her Masters in Interior Design.  Do you think we have much in common?  So, I get off the subway and give her a call… hadn't seen her well over 15 years… but she answers my call and says "I'm 2 minutes away, stand on the street corner and I'll pick you up!"  When she pulled up her sweet dog Penny was hanging her head out the back window… melt my heart, I love a GR.  Unfortunately due to poor planning on my part, we only had about 15-20 minutes to hang out… but in our short visit I got to meet her Golden Retriever Penny, see her precious historic home (right smack in downtown Boston on a beautiful street), talk "shop" a little, talk about Vermont (my next adventure), and I got to hear her perspective on Boston. 

Penny: (on the right, I think)

Blair and her thesis… (I snagged these from Facebook, incase you thought maybe she had these on display in her house, she didn't)

Blair and her camera (I think hers is a Nikon?):

Blair, thanks for taking time out of your busy day for me! It was such a delight!

I just remembered the Fresh stuff wasn't the only thing I bought… I also bought my nieces Make Way For Ducklings, a book by Robert McCloskey.  Annmaried dubbed this a 'Boston must-have'.  A darling story about ducks making their home in the Public Garden in Boston.  This bronze statue is in the park to commemorate the author, his story, and his love for Beantown.

So, that's  a wrap!  I will definitely make my way back to Boston soon… and if you've never been you should add it to your list of cities to visit!  It's a wonderful place!