A holiday tea in Harvard Square

On Sunday, I visited Harvard Square in Cambridge for an afternoon tea with friends. I love to go to Harvard Square during the Christmas season. Usually, I stop at Burdick's for a hot chocolate but on this day it was all about the tea.

Upstairs on the Square has eclectic décor. I love it's funky style and vibrant colors. It just makes me smile. What doesn't make me smile is the fact that it is closing it's doors on December 31st. So you can see why it was important that my friends and I go there for one last tea.

The food is and was wonderful there. We all had plenty to eat. There were the following tea sandwiches: chicken salad, ham salad, egg salad, and salmon. We then had a scone, a cheese biscuit and a mini quiche.

For dessert we had a lemon tart, date nut bread. red velvet cupcake, chocolate éclair, and two other chocolate and hazelnut treats. Again, the food was delicious!

I organized the event and I had the window seat with a lovely view of a historic home and a pretty wreath. I was definitely in a Christmas mood.

 

 It was fun to see all the little girls in their Sunday best dresses. They all looked so adorable.

We sat in the room surrounded b windows and it was a little chilly. I took some photos of the interior rooms. I especially liked this fireplace.

As the sun began to set, the lights outside were much more noticeable. I wished we had more time to explore. I am going to have to make a trip back there before the end of the holiday season and this time I'll stop at Burdick's and wave goodbye to the magnificent Upstairs on the Square.

A Chocolate Tea in Harvard Square

An invitation for a Chocolate Tea with friends?  Harvard Square? A warm, cozy eatery on a brutally cold day?  Yes, please!

So today I went to Harvard Square with my friend Kim to enjoy a chocolate tea. The location? Upstairs on the Square. We met our friend Jill there.

I liked the colors on the outside of the building. Purple is a favorite color of mine.

This was the scene when we entered the restaurant. How fun! I loved all the colors, the checkboard floor, and funky lights.

Zebra fabric on the benches, pink tables, a couple of fantastic fireplaces. What a feast for the eyes and the tummy!

These ladies were here for lunch, not afternoon tea.  Can you see the cool fireplace in the background and a balcony to the right? What an architectural wonder!

The tea was part of Harvard Square's Chocolate Festival.  Some of the businesses in Harvard Square were giving away free samples today. We did not go for the samples since we were going to the tea.

Isn't the zebra logo cute? The Winter Events include dinners as well. I might just have to make a return visit!

While Kim and Jill conversed, I got a better look at the place through my lens. It looks like lots of women were relaxing with their friends.

This mobile was interesting. Looked liked a collection of art works. And upon closer inspection....

it was a mobile made from children's drawings and handwritten notes. Too cute!

There were some very interesting light fixtures. Do these lightbulbs have wings? Yes, they do, they are angel lightbulbs.

Another interesting light. Bottles tied together and illuminated within. Fantastic!

That is one fabulous mirror! And yes, that is yours truly catching her reflection in this shot.

And it's teatime! Our tray was filled with so many delights! Gruyere cheese tarts, blue cheese crackers, a chocolate chip scone. Then egg salad, ham salad, chicken salad, and salmon tea sandwiches.  The lower tier was for desserts. Chocolate eclairs, chocolate cupcakes, fudge, date bread and chocolate dipped strawberries. All of it so delicious!

Did I say chocolate dipped strawberries? Yes! One of my personal favorites. I make 'em at home sometimes. I think it is a healthy snack if I have some strawberries with my dark chocolate.

The tea flowed freely. Jill and I shared a pot of earl grey. Make that two pots, we got a refill. And Kim went with English breakfast tea.

Here's a view from the upstairs. A better shot of the amazing fireplace. It would have been nice to sit in front of that fire.  Upstairs on the Square was a 10 minute walk from where we parked so we were chilled. Kim works at Harvard so we parked for free! Quite the coup. Parking in Cambridge and especially Harvard Square can be a challenge.

There's another room in the back that we haven't even explored! Let's see what's back there.

I do love that floor and the pinks in this room. A very festive vibe in this room.

It's adorable isn't it? And look at the zebras on the wall. They are too cute!

A closer look at the crowd. Young Harvard students no doubt!  Since Upstairs on the Square is within walking distance of Harvard University I would imagine this is a student hangout.

Tea was over and we walked down Winthrop Street. The light on the building ahead was fantastic! It was still freezing, well more than freezing. The high temperature was 22 degrees and the low was 10 but that was without the wind chill!

This is the other side of Upstairs on the Square. Another restaurant is downstairs.

We had a little snow this morning but most of it is gone now. Still pretty though.

And at 4:41 PM, the sun was starting to set on this bitter cold day. Light traffic, some runners out for a jog ( yikes!) and me standing there taking it all in through my lens. It was a great day!

Harvard Square epiphany

I had a vacation day from work today and my plans got cancelled so I offered to help my sister with her Christmas shopping. She had made a list so it seemed like an easy task. She wanted me to go to one store in Harvard Square, Joie de Vivre, a small very quirky shop on Massachusetts Ave or Mass Ave as we natives call it.

The forecast was for wind driven rain but not too cold temperatures. I wore a light rain coat, blue jeans and snow boots. It was steadily raining but the monsoon had not arrived yet.

Parking was a nightmare. It usually is in that area but it was exacerbated by those doing Christmas shopping. I could not find a space near the store so I circled around to the opposite side of this busy street. I found one, not real close and the meter was for a mere 30 minutes. I hoped the meter maids did not want to go out in a nor'easter and I could be spared a ticket. I rushed out of the car and hurried to the store.

What a great store, Joie de Vivre. Lots of retro stuff, many low priced items, wacky stocking stuffers, and hilarious cards. Of course, 4 of the items on the list were sold out. So I improvised. Got some great stuff. My sister said if I found something I liked to get it because she needed a gift for me too. I bought a lamp for my new downstairs office. Photos to be posted later.

After visiting a second store, the Paper Source, for wrapping paper and a few small gifts, I took a mochaccino break at Rosie's Bakery.  At this point, the wind driven rain had arrived. I could not see my car and I figured the parking ticket was a certainty. I added a Mediterranean omelet to my drink order and I settled in to enjoy my breakfast.

Afterwards, I ventured out into the wild and wooly weather. You know, the kind of weather that if you were driving on the highway you would pull off because you couldn't see two feet in front of you. Umbrellas were virtually useless as they immediately blew inside out. I was having a hard time holding on to my 3 parcels. It took forever to cross the street, traffic, puddles, yuck!  I was not amused.

 I walked up the street a couple of blocks and could not find my car. At this point, the paper shopping bags were saturated and so was I.  One of the paper bags was starting to rip. I thought I would try to find a shop that had plastic bags and so I entered City Sports. The nice clerk said he would get me a plastic bag but came back with clear trash bags for me. He said he brought me the clear trash bags so I wouldn't look like a homeless person. Mmm, ok.

Continuing up the street, I still could not find my car. I turned and started walking in the other direction. The rain was coming down sideways and the winds were kicking up. My jeans were soaked and sticking to my legs. The water was dripping off my hair and rolling down my neck. I was getting chilled.  My bangs were so wet I had to slick them back and then the rain was hitting my face and eyelashes so hard I could hardly see. Plus when it is raining that hard it actually hurts. Real nice on my broken nose.

I walked into a store named Nomad just to get out of the rain and catch my breath. My arms were hurting from carrying my packages awkwardly so they wouldn't drag on the ground. The store had beautiful handcrafted items from all over the world. A young woman came up to me and said she would take my packages and put them behind the counter. She saw they were trash bags and then she told me she would just leave them by a display that she couldn't put them behind the counter. I told her no, she would not leave them out in the open and I took them and left the store. I am convinced she thought I was a homeless person and that's when her attitude changed.

I realized my car was not on this end of the street so I backtracked again. While I walked, I planned out all the wonderful things I was going to do when I found my car. A hot shower with my favorite Philosophy salt scrub and shower gel, a hot cup of tea and a gingerbread cookie while relaxing on the couch under my soft plush blanket. Aw, yes that will be wonderful but then my thoughts turned to the homeless. What if I were homeless and I got caught in the rainstorm and had no other clothes but the ones I had on? How would I ever get dry or warm? And how would people treat me? Would anyone help me? The temperature was scheduled to drop after today. How would I survive? I don't think I would.

Finally I found my car and I was never so happy to see it. I immediately turned up the heat to the max and I drove straight home. Christmas music on the radio and out of the rain, my mood immediately improved.

I arrived at home to see the entire contents of my recycling bin strewn across the driveway, lawn and the neighbor's property. Cat food cans everywhere, water bottles, plastic take out containers. and a Tidy Cats Kitty Litter container. As I picked up the debris it was still pouring. This discomfort is temporary I told myself.  You are minutes away from a hot shower, clean clothes and that cup of tea.

And finally, after the hot shower, I had my cup of tea and gingerbread man. While I was in the shower the sun came out!

Today's trials and tribulations had an impact on me. Just yesterday I had decided to join the 26 acts of kindness movement when a friend posted about it on Facebook. The 26 acts idea was created by NBC News' Ann Curry and was posted on Twitter at #26acts. Last night, I was thinking of doing things that the victims of the Sandy Hook shooting would have cared about but now I think my random acts of kindness will be centered on the homeless.

I found a non profit organization called Birthday Wishes and I am going to volunteer.  Their mission is to bring birthday parties to children living in shelters. Some of the shelters allow volunteers to come in and interact with the kids.  Other shelters are called safe shelters and the volunteers put together birthday boxes of gifts and supplies but they can't attend the parties. I am excited about this opportunity and I am going to round up my own group of volunteers.

So how about you? Are you in for #26acts? I did my first one today, Christmas shopping for my sister.  I have 25 more opportunities for kindness.

Christmas Bucket List

Are there things you simply must do for the holidays? Like visit a certain place or eat a certain food? Well here are my holiday must haves or my Christmas bucket list.

I like to see a live performance at the holidays. The Boston Pops, the Nutcracker Ballet, The Christmas Revels, it's always great to take in a Christmas show. This year I am hoping to see the Nutcracker at the local theatre.  It's a musical. Should be interesting.

Next weekend, I will attend the Nutcracker Tea.  This will be my second year attending the event.

My sister and I usually meet friends for dinner at the Bedford Village Inn in Bedford, NH.  The inn is stunning. And the week after Christmas is the best time to visit.  It is still decorated for Christmas but the atmosphere is more relaxed. We look forward to this special dinner.

I enjoy shopping in the small shops in surrounding towns such as Concord, Lexington, Winchester, and Melrose. I've already been to Nesting on Main.  They do such an amazing job with their displays. If I have time I like to go to Boston and browse around Beacon Hill and Newbury Street.  The window shopping is great!

I also take in church fairs and antique fairs. I find the best stuff there. In fact, I will show you some of my finds in another post.

A must do on my list is to visit Burdick's in Harvard Square.  Their hot chocolate is too die for! The cafe is decorated tastefully for the holidays. After hot chocolate, I have the energy to brave the crowds and do some serious shopping.  There is always lots to see in Harvard Square.

Here's a view of the twig chandelier in Burdick's. I had hoped to duplicate this for my Christmas Soiree but time is running short and there is still so much to do!

There you have it, my Christmas Bucket list. Do you have one? What's on your list?

Snowy Saturday and a Trip to Harvard Square

A storm was predicted and it had already started to snow. I planned to stay home with the kitties on this snowy Saturday.



I usually make a trip into Harvard Square before Christmas. I love to browse in the unique shops and people watch. There are many great eateries there too. This Christmas I didn't make it to Harvard Square.

So I was thrilled when my friend Kim called to ask if I was interested in going there on this Saturday afternoon. It was snowing and cold but Burdick's Hot Chocolate was calling.

We drove in and parked at Harvard University since Kim had a parking pass. Harvard Yard looked gorgeous in the snow as we walked through it.



At Burdick's we walked past the man keeping count of how many hot chocolate lovers were in the shop. Maximum occupancy is 49 and it is strictly enforced.

A winter wonderland awaited us. Twigs and branches were suspended from the ceiling and glass snowflakes and icicles dangled and caught the light. It was quite beautiful and an idea I may use in the condo mext Christmas.



Here's an overall view of the shop. See how cool it looks?




I ordered a small dark chocolate with a cinnamon luxembourger just like the macarons in Paris. The photo is blurry due to the fact that I was suffering from chocolate intoxication. Just the smell made me woozy with excitement!



Here's the outside of Burdick's, the steam on the window just adds to it's mystique. We browsed a bit in a few shops and then it started to really snow so we crossed Harvard Yard and headed home.

It was an enjoyable spontaneous excursion!