Pages

Sunday, March 16, 2008

Saturday Travels

There is nothing like entertaining out of town guests to make you realize how much you love where you live, oui?

Saturday Adam and I had the pleasure of hanging out with our good friends from New Hampshire, Nicky and PJ. While the boys took in an afternoon Bruins game - we girls hit the town for some much needed shopping and gossip. First up? Lower Mills (a super cute section of Dorchester). We hit up the Dark Horse Antiques because if there is a better way to spend a rainy, dreary Saturday morning that antiquing? I don't know what it is. I also have developed something of a depression glass fetish. Don't judge.

From there we kept the vintage vibe going and mosied into a super adorable vintage/retro shop next door. I picked up some darling glass jars to use for cotton balls/q tips



As well as a fabulous yellow clutch.



This is THE place to hit for vintage jewelry finds: rhinestone earrings, lucite bangles, cascads of bright colored beaded necklaces? Hello heaven. We pored over the handbags and hats and then popped to the art gallery next door to see what was showing. I have said it before and I will say it again: a gold frame does it for me. You can have a not so great painting but you put it in a gilded frame and I will think it's gorgeous. So what if every artist I know is disgusted by that statement. It can't be helped!

After stopping in to refeul at Flat Black Coffee Company we hopped in the car and headed over to one of my favorite local gift shops, Cedar Grove Gardens. How can I describe this place? It's Winstons meets Pier One meets Upscale Toy Store meets that local little gift shop every cute little town has. Adorable, simply. We spent about an hour in here looking over their collection of candles, cards, knick knacks and pottery.



After that we did one of my favorite things, just got in the car and headed in a direction, not sure of where we were going but deciding to stop when we found something interesting.



That something interesting happened to be Centre Street in Jamaica Plain. The perfect "Part Two" of our afternoon out. We walked up and down the street popping in at a super well stocked kitchen supply place, Fire Opal (where I fell in LOVE with their ceramics) and a few gift shops and antique places along the way. I found something I HAD to get for Kaylyn at Boing, since I can't pass up any cute Red Sox related baby stuff since her dad (Adam's brother) is such a fan).



I forgot how much fun toy stores are. I guess it took hanging out with a children's book illustrator/artist to remind me. While I was waiting in line, there was a little girl admiring a tank of Sea Monkey type things. There were two of them swimming in there and when the sales person pointed out that they were male and female the little girl asked "So when are they going to mate?". HA! I love kids who ask the important questions.

I have to say, I really haven't hung out much in Jamaica Plain over the past few years but that really has to change. For one thing it's so close and for another, it's so damn cute. Centre Street alone is a smorgasbord of fun shops and restaurants and bars. Yes I said smorgasbord.

I forget sometimes that there are places to go other than QUINCY (and other than Boston proper). We live so close to so many cool places that I just never check out. It's rather appalling. But I am glad I got to spend quality time with Nicky while exploring an area I love.

In the late afternoon we finally headed back home to meet up with the boys for some dinner (and some very loud discussiong about polygamy) and then some Guitar Hero back at our place. All in a day's work!

And now, if you will excuse me, John Adams is waiting for me in the living room.

11 comments:

Anonymous said...

...hey there :) jsut stumbled across your blog! i must say, i'm slightly obsessed with the wonder spice cafe in JP.

drool.

and that onesie? adorable.

xo, bb

Sarah said...

YES we walked by the Wonder Spice Cafe and it looked so cute! I will definitely be checking it out in the future. Thanks for the tip!

Lys said...

It has been ages since I traipsed around Jamaica Plain and other parts of "Eastern Mass". I think I'll have to make a trip on my next flight up north.

Those jars - gorg.; the clutch - delish and that onesie - fab. (Well, I'd have gotten a Phillies one - I know I know - dah horrah).

Glad to hear you had a fabulous day! Polygamy discussions tho??

Sarah said...

Thanks girl. As for Polygamy discussins - what can I say? I miss Big Love. I need my fix.

Dink said...

jp is great, next time you're in the area let me know. i'm in jp all the time! it's funfunfun! danielle

Kate said...

I love the clutch!

Caitlin said...

JP, reprezent!

It's my hood. And I am madly in love with it. And devestated to be leaving. You MUST go to Zon's next time you are in the area. Amazing.
zonsjp.com

JP Seafood has great Sushi, and Doyle's is a must for your dose of local Irish bar-ness.
And of course, there is always The Alchemist!

Anonymous said...

It was soooo much fun! Thanks for having us over!

You forgot to mention how I lost my mind at Cedar Groves Gardens and tried to buy the entire store before I remembered I'm poor.

And oh yeah - yesterday I was totally thinking about how loud I probably was at dinner. PJ and Zack call it "Beer Muffs" when you have too many drinks and then can't turn your own volume down. Except, I had wine muffs. I probably was letting the whole restaurant hear my opinions about other people and infidelity. Oops. I won't wonder if, next time, they won't let me back in for a gobbler. Lol.

Sarah said...

haha I think we were all super loud - i know I was! Did you see that couple come in, sit down next to us and then get up and leave after a few minutes? Who knew that forced child marriage isn't something people want to hear about when they're on a date!?

Anonymous said...

Haha! You're going to make me cry laughing at my desk. I totally didn't notice those people leave. Though I do think I "felt" them looking at us. A couple glasses of wine and I don't even care anymore. I'm through for the night. Oh man. *Blushes* Usually, PJ repremands me if I start yelling. When he doesn't, I tend to assume my volume levels are just fine. Ryan just looks at me and pretends to be turning down an invisible volume knob somewhere in my area. I hereby give you permission to lower my volume in the future.

k e r r y said...

those glass jars are perfect - much better than my plain glass boring jars that I use to hold cotton balls! great find!