a whirlwind of wonderful

I have been a very lucky girl this summer.  You know that saying, Work Hard, Play Hard?  That has defined my August.  One of my long weekend escapes earlier in the month was to Boston for a girl’s weekend hosted by the lovely Leigh Standley of Curly Girl Design. Our three delightful days consisted of a sunset cruise, flea marketing, shop perusing and celebrating Leigh’s soon-to-arrive twins…

and eating… lots of eating :-)  Our first stop for lunch was Tatte Bakery & Cafe.  This is one of Leigh’s favorite spots and after eating a most amazing tasting sandwich, I can see why.  But the real star of the show here are the gorgeous pastries, cookies and other scrumptious baked goods.

After lunch we shopped at Marmalade, Leigh’s retail shop in downtown Belmont.  I took plenty of pictures of this happy shopping space … so many that they will be in their very own blog post.

Afterwards we headed back to Leigh’s pad to make picnic fixins for our sunset cruise around Boston Harbor.  This is where I began to feel like I was living in a magazine shoot.  I also believe that all sandwiches taste even better when wrapped in parchment paper and bakers twine.

 In between getting helping with kitchen prep, I explored her gorgeous home…. like I said ~ magazine shoot :-)

Next…we were off to the harbor!

It was a most perfect evening for this memorable event.  All the gals were instagraming many of the moments, so I used a few of their pics for this collage.  Thank you Close2MyArt,  LizzyFlanagan and LacyLike.

After a late night of sharing stories, we awoke to this gorgeous scene for breakfast… complete with a vintage handkerchief runner.  Ahhh ~ the subtle and sweet details.

Then the beautiful baby shower organized by the oh-so-thoughtful & crafty Alyssa.  After the festivities, we had a relaxing afternoon.  I forget how good it is for the soul to spend time with inspiring women… hearing their stories, learning about their passions and visions for what’s next.  Thank you (from left to right) Mati Rose, Lacy Young, Leigh, Margo Tantau, Michelle Allen and Alyssa Barr Klatte for an unforgettable weekend.

Later that evening we feasted on fish tacos, grilled Mexican corn, homemade guacamole, salsa and grapefruit sangria… all under the starlit sky on the back patio.  So stunning and yummy!

The next morning we grabbed a most delicious donut for some flea market fuel.  Leigh’s dog, Lucy led the way and sniffed out some spectacular finds for us.

Here’s a bit of my bounty.  Muffin tins and glass jars are great for jewelry displays. I plan on using these critters & toy figurines in some 3 tiered displays  inspired by the ones I saw at the store, I Like You a couple years ago.

Next we headed to a very hip area of Boston and scouted out some more second hand finds, food trucks and also hit a fantastic art market where I scored some hip handmade clothes from cinderloop and mountain ash design.

It was definitely a whirlwind of wonderful.  A big thank you to Leigh who organized this great gathering.  I think we might all have to return to celebrate your babes’ first birthdays next year!

Like to see where I spend my time away from catching fireflies?  Then sign up to receive blog posts like these in your email inbox HERE